Debt in a bag: Russia has increased control over inheritance registration
The process of entering into inheritance in 2026 provides for the succession of heirs established by law, a six-month period for accepting the inheritance and mandatory appeal to a notary. Moreover, in recent years, legislation has been gradually changing, making the procedure more transparent and fraud-proof. In particular, notaries are now required to verify kinship data through state registries and notify heirs of the deceased's debts. For more information about what changes appeared in 2025-2026 and how they will affect Russians, see the Izvestia article.
Verification of kinship and death through state registries
One of the key innovations is related to the use of government information systems. Now notaries verify the fact of the testator's death and family ties through the Unified State Register of Civil Status Records (USR Registry Office), and not only according to the documents provided by the heirs.
According to Irina Hrytsenko, a lawyer at the Legal Policy Bar Association, this measure is aimed at increasing the transparency of the procedure and combating fraud.
— Today, notaries actively use interdepartmental electronic requests, including to the Unified State Register of Civil Status Records. This allows you to verify the fact of death and family ties directly through the state system, without having to submit paper documents," she explained.
Previously, in practice, there were situations when fake death certificates or kinship documents were presented when registering an inheritance. Electronic verification through state registries significantly complicates such schemes.
Lawyer Timur Marshani notes that electronic checks also make it easier for heirs to verify their rights. According to him, if the registration records are in the registry, the notary himself receives the necessary information, and the person does not need to collect certificates from different registry offices.
Notaries are required to inform heirs about debts
Another important change concerns the testator's debts. Federal Law No. 407-FZ of 11/23/2024 introduced a new Article 61.1 into the Fundamentals of Legislation on Notaries. It states that a notary is obliged to independently check the credit history of the deceased and notify the heirs of the existence of obligations.
— After opening the inheritance case, the notary is obliged to send a request to the Central Catalog of Credit Histories. After receiving a response, he finds out which credit bureaus store the information, requests a credit report and notifies the heirs of the presence or absence of debts, — said Irina Gritsenko.
Previously, heirs often found out about the deceased's loans after accepting the inheritance. Now this information must be communicated to them in advance.
Timur Marshani added that after receiving a response from the credit bureaus, the notary is obliged to notify the heirs of the amount owed. This can be done in writing, by e-mail, or in person. According to the lawyer, such a mechanism significantly reduces the risk of unpleasant financial surprises.
Is it possible to give up an inheritance because of debts
According to Russian law, heirs are liable for the debts of the deceased only within the limits of the value of the property received. This rule is fixed in art. 1175 of the Civil Code.
— Even if the heir has accepted the inheritance, he is responsible for the debts of the testator only within the limits of the value of the property received. The personal funds of the heir are not affected," Marchani explained.
If the debt obligations turn out to be too large, the heir has the right to renounce the inheritance. This can be done within a six-month period from the date of opening of the inheritance case. However, lawyers pay attention to an important caveat: you can only give up the inheritance in full.
— Civil legislation does not allow for the renunciation of debts only while preserving property. The inheritance is accepted either entirely or not at all," Hrytsenko emphasized.
Digital services and simplification of procedures
In addition to verification through state registries and mandatory notification of debts, digitalization of notary procedures has been actively developing in recent years. The use of electronic requests to government agencies, banks and the tax service is expanding. At the same time, digital services are being introduced, including the so-called heir's office, which should simplify the interaction of citizens with notaries.
In addition, the procedure for the inventory of inherited property is being clarified, which should increase the protection of the interests of heirs and reduce the risk of disputes.
Some changes relate to the families of the deceased participants in the special military operation. Special rules are provided for them for calculating the term of inheritance acceptance. As Marchani explained, the six-month period can be counted not from the moment of actual death, but from the date of registration of the death certificate in the registry Office registry office. This is relevant in situations where information about deaths is delayed.
Previously, in such cases, relatives often had to go to court to restore the missed deadline. The new rules make it possible to resolve this issue out of court.
How to prepare an inheritance in advance
Lawyers point out that many difficulties in registering an inheritance arise due to the lack of information about the deceased's property. Therefore, experts advise to systematize data on property and financial obligations in advance.
— It is important to think over the inheritance structure in advance: make a will, systematize information about bank accounts, real estate and investments. This greatly facilitates the procedure for the heirs," Hrytsenko notes.
Special attention should be paid to digital assets — electronic wallets, accounts, and cryptocurrencies, which can be difficult to access without appropriate data.
Experts emphasize that the new changes in inheritance law are primarily aimed at increasing the transparency of the procedure. Verification through state registers and mandatory notification of debts allow heirs to understand the financial situation in advance and make a decision about inheritance more consciously.
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